This is a good comprehensive list for preparedness. Also if you have never heard of the LDS preparedness manual it would be a good idea to perhaps look at that as well. It might just give you some additional ideas. If you just Google LDS preparedness manual you will find it
PREPAREDNESS TIP: THE 15 PILLARS OF PREPAREDNESS by Andrew Skousen
Becoming self-sufficient requires a broad base of knowledge and abilities. Although we can never become experts in everything, the more basic skills we acquire the higher our standard of living will be in hard times when equipment, goods and services will be scarce or impossible to find. After reviewing the many tips I have written in the past I have compiled 15 categories of essential areas for preparedness. Most of us “preppers” are well prepared in specific areas that interest us or match our abilities while neglecting others. As you read through this list, pay attention to which areas are strong or weak for you, then focus on bringing the weaker areas up to par. Every category is essential, and ideally, everyone would achieve some proficiency in all categories. This takes time, so don’t be discouraged. Try to take action on something every week, either in line with the tip topic I send out or another area needing attention. Here are the categories and some of the sub-topics to indicate the depth of each subject.
1) Water: Water storage—from spare containers to large, underground cisterns. Berkey and other water filters. Rainwater harvesting, wells, hand pumps, springs, treating surface water, etc.
2) Land: Secure land or secondary retreat with evacuation plan and 72 hour kits/bug out bags. Secluded property, natural barriers, mountain cabin vs. farm, hiding in plain site, vegetation, concealment strategies, fencing, defensive layout, etc.
3) Shelter: Reinforced home, window and door security, secure store rooms, fallout shelter, fences, security alarms, wood fireplaces, backup hot water system, toilets. Personal shelter—cold weather clothing, plastic for windows.
4) Growing and Gathering Food: Gardening—soil, compost, seed starting, the 4 major crops (corn, potatoes and other root vegetables, squash, and beans), harvest methods, and seed saving. Wild foraging—edible plants, berries, mushrooms and how to recognize and prepare them.
5) Preserving food: Canning (steam, water bath, pressure), freeze-drying, dehydrating, root cellar storing, fermenting, salting, smoking, curing, freezing and refrigerating.
6) Stockpiling Food: Grains, protein, oil/fats, dairy, canned goods, nuts and nut butter, salt and seasonings, sweeteners, extra foreign spices, etc. Food processing equipment—grain grinders, solar and other off-grid cooking methods, etc.
7) Food Animals: Raising, harvesting and preserving food from domestic and wild animals. Poultry, rabbits, pigs, sheep, goats, milk cow, cattle, horses, etc. Farm and pasture management, enclosures, water, feed, etc. Hunting wild game.
8) Self defense: Weapons (firearms, knives, etc.), guard dogs, empty hand techniques, body armor, night vision equipment, ammunition, reloading equipment, training.
9) Alternate Energy: Solar, batteries, generators, fuel storage, wood production, lights, flashlights/headlamps, etc.
10) Communication: Family band/GMRS (walkie-talkies), ham radio, shortwave, AM/FM radios, cell phones, landline telephones, computers.
11) Medical care: First aid, suturing, wound and burn care, bone splints, midwifery, herbs (growing, harvesting and using), fire cider and other preventative care, dental care, bentonite clay, iodine, detoxing after radiation sickness, etc.
12) Physical and mental conditioning: Physical fitness, teaching kids, homeschooling, mental toughness, true optimism, hope, choosing battles, working with a resistant spouse, etc.
13) Maintenance, Repair and Construction: Having the right tools, welding, riveting, sewing, fiberglass repair, stockpiling supplies like lumber, steel shapes, glues, fasteners, car parts.
14) Transportation: Better boots, bikes, cars, trailers, bug out vehicles, electric vehicles.
15) Sanitation: Making soap, shampoo, paper product alternatives (toilet paper, napkins and tissues), shaving supplies, washing machines, homemade detergents, borax, washing soda, lye from ashes, etc.
Preparedness is an ongoing effort. It takes time and sometimes requires putting off other pursuits or hobbies to advance our learning in these crucial areas. Often it requires delving into areas outside our comfort zone. Don’t balk at learning in these areas too. You will be surprised how much progress you can make if you just apply yourself and do your best. Whether changing a part on a car, taking a firearms/self-defense class, learning a new aspect of ham radios, or putting up a crock of sauerkraut, it will pay big dividends down the road and give you time to make mistakes before your life depends on it. [END]
🌅 Market News Digest
[Jul 6-7, 2026 EST]
🔥 Top Stories
• Hormuz shipping attacks escalate — Iran reportedly fired missiles at commercial vessels; oil jumped, gold eased, and the risk premium rose across energy and defense
• Samsung/Kospi rout — Samsung shares slumped after 2Q profit beat but oversupply worries, helping trigger an 8% KOSPI halt and a $170B+ market-value wipeout
• BoE flags valuation risk — Bank of England warned of stretched AI-led equity valuations, higher leverage, and a sharp-correction risk while proposing capital-rule easing
• Trump pressures Walmart on prices — Walmart said it will cut prices on 250+ items; the White House is using retail pricing as a visible inflation signal
⛽ Oil & Energy
• Saudi Arabia weighs bypass routes — exploring more pipeline capacity and alternative export paths outside Hormuz as shipping risk rises
• Oil up on Hormuz attacks — crude rose ~1.5% after vessel strikes; Qatar LNG tanker was also reported hit near the strait
• Shell ...
“If you want to hate America, watch the news. If you want to love America, drive through it.”
European media has pushed a negative picture of America for generations and it’s not new with any recent president.
This pattern runs deep because the media has long helped European elites build their own identity by positioning America as the opposite of what they claim to value.
Historians trace this anti-American thread in European writing and press back to the 18th and 19th centuries and it grew stronger in the 20th.
America was often painted as crude, commercial, and overly individualistic, a threat to older European hierarchies of class and culture.
After World War II the coverage increased but it frequently framed the US as the powerful yet uncivilized counterpoint to a more refined and cooperative Europe.
Media outlets used stories about American business, culture, and foreign policy to reinforce that contrast and it became a reliable way to define a shared European self-image....